For many in Kerala, Hindu Aikya Vedi leader Sasikala teacher is the custodian and saviour of the Hindu religion. But many others have called her out on her blatant attacks on Christians and Muslims in an attempt to portray Hindus as a marginalized community.
After her attempts at re-defining the legend of Onam and Vavar, the Muslim friend of Lord Ayyappa, a video of Sasikala teacher’s speech a couple of months ago has re-surfaced, and social media users just cannot stop talking about it.
Earlier in August, Sasikala teacher had propagated the RSS’s attempts at redefining Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, arguing that the festival was not the celebration of the return of the Asura King Mahabali, but the birth anniversary of the Brahmin Vamana.
Sasikala teacher, a staunch Hindu, had then contributed her fair share to the controversy, saying that Onam was an attempt to tarnish the image of Vishnu.
In the video of a speech that is doing rounds on social media, Sasikala teacher claims that Hindu fishermen are not allowed to venture out to certain seas in the state and that even the sea has a religion.
“Hindus are not allowed to venture out to Attingal sea,” she can be heard saying.
“In Thiruvananthapuram, near Attingal, a Hindu cannot go to the sea. Only a Christian is allowed to do so. Not even a single Hindu is allowed to go past the Neendakara bridge to catch fish,” Sasikala teacher says.
She reiterates that should one doubt her claims, Hindus can always venture out and experience it for themselves.
“People who doubt this can go there with a boat and net and see for themselves. They will shut you up in a church. Only weeks before the last panchayat election, they shut a group of Hindus in a church, who went there for fishing. The priest at the Church had also given his consent for this. Hindu organizations had to intervene to let them out,” Sasikala teacher claims.
She adds that the Hindus who were called for talks with the government, were not even given chairs to sit on.
“They called us for an evening talk in a small room with five chairs, with Ramesh Chennithala, Oommen Chandy on one side. Five chairs were laid out for people who had come to attend the meeting. All those chairs were occupied by Christian priests. Hindus who went there had to stand in a corner. They didn’t even give Hindus the respect they would give a street dog. Ramesh Chennithala told us that he regards the priest’s words as final,” Sasikala teacher fumes.
“Christians can go fishing in Kasargod, but even now, Hindus are not allowed to go fishing to the north of Neendakara bridge. They should convert to Christianity to do so. The sea also has religion. Ponnani sea is for the Muslims, Attingal sea is for Christians. Where should we go? What is ours?” she declares.
However, social media did not find reasons to be kind to the Hindu leader and memes followed.
Meme 1: "A new kind of poisonous fish found in Attingal"
Meme 2:
Crab (Kochin Haneefa) : "As-salamu alaykum"
Fish: "Praise the lord."
Crab: "Oh, sorry. I am in the wrong sea."
Meme 3: What Sasikala sees when she spots Christains/Muslims and a Hindu fishing.
Meme 4:
Sasikala (Suraj Venjaranmoodu): "Ask those Christian fish to leave, what a pain!"
Meme 5:
Sasikala: "Ponnani sea belongs to Muslims, Attingal sea belongs to Christians."
Mammootty: "Ha Ha Ha"
Watch the video here: